


To love the Humans

by Valdyr



Series: Tricksy, Mighty, Love of Sam [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Drama, M/M, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-09 12:52:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8891494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valdyr/pseuds/Valdyr
Summary: With Gabriel as their ally, the Winchesters take a new path to stopping the apocalypse that none of them could have possibly fathomed before the mention of their prophet.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I thought about it for a long time and finally decided to reupload (with a few minor edits) the second chapter, but I don't want to overthrow the original story with tags and all again, so I decided to format it as a short series.

Gabriel was insufferable. Sure, he revealed an almost manageable plan to stop the apocalypse, using the horsemen's rings to lock Lucifer back in his cage. But seriously? He left candy wrappers lying around in baby and he had frozen the radio on 50 cent's candy shop. And when Dean dared to mention that that song was not really about literal candy, Gabriel just glanced over to Sam with a smirk and asked in the sweetest of tones:

"Wanna lick my lollipop?"

By then, red had become the standard color on Sam's face and Dean was desperately trying to shut down the part of his brain that kept making what he heard into images in his head. Sam had yet to comment on Gabriel's continued hints. But Gabriel was not allowing that to deter him. He was permanently banned to the backseat, while the brothers rode in the front, but he just made a virtue of of the necessity and used that to sneak up on Sam and blow hot breath into his neck. Just to make him squirm.

And because of that, Dean refused to even think about admitting that Gabriel smoothly slipped into his role as CDC official with practised ease, while Castiel's FBI agent had been rather jarring the one time he'd tried. When Gabriel was briefly absent, emptying a vending machine completely, Sam actually mentioned that he was a highly practical angel to have with them, considering the other angels they had met so far.

But, being Gabriel, he heard it anyway, winked at Sam and called him a flirt. And then he held up two gumballs and asked Sam if he wanted his balls in his mouth and finally, it was getting enough. For Dean anyway:

"Shut your mouth, you dirty son of a bitch! That's my brother you're talking about. So if you don't have anything useful to say to us, like something regarding the freaking apocalypse on our hands, then just leave it!"

"...So you're back to 'us two humans against all the angels and demons'? I can't imagine that being helpful."

"Well, you're not helpful now, either!"

"Hey, I muted the bug in your 'baby'!"

"Bu-what? A bug? In my baby?! What kind of bug?!! Who put a bug in my baby?!!!"

"I don't know who put it there, I just don't like being listened in on, or traced, so I ...well... I didn't actually mute it. I broke the volume control. So anyone trying to listen might just get a really bad case of tinnitus... for the next couple centuries or so. And who so ever should try to trace it might find themselves finding that it is on earth. Everywhere on earth. Any more questions?"

"...No. ...Someone really bugged my baby?"

So Gabriel snapped a strange coin into his hand and let them see.

"Gets past hex bags and your rib scripts, you know. So old even I couldn't inhibit it if I tried. Well, not without a spell requiring ingedrients you don't want me to take. Brain tissue, if you were curious. Of prepubescent mirror twins. Anyway: Hence the overloading."

Dean had not been curious and tried to instantly forget about the ease with which the non-human spoke about using children's brains, but rather focused on the coin. He inspected it like one might dog droppings and finally, begrudingly thanked Gabriel for throwing whoever had been trying to spy on them off their trail. But that still left them with the problem of how to find the horsemen. So they tried interrogating demons. Catching them was easy enough with an archangel in disguise at their side and they knew how to make them talk, too. But... no lowlife demon knew where the big bosses were.

They needed somebody who knew. And this was not an issue they could call Bobby on. They didn't need to know findings of the past written down long ago to be researched today. They needed to know where those demons were now. Or would be soon, so that they could drive there ahead of time. And just that thought led to the discussion that changed the course of history...

Dean was frustrated beyond belief and Gabriel was fighting his own mounting nerves by teasing Dean even more. But then Sam had an idea that had both of them look up:

"How about... What if... Dean. Chuck! He knew where Lilith would come to me and that Bella gave the Colt to Crowly, not her. Maybe he knows about the horsemen, too! I mean, it's gotta be worth a try, right?"

"Yeah... Yeah that's right! He could make himself some more useful."

But Gabriel did not share their fascination, if his frown or tone was anything to go by:

"Ermm... 'Chuck'? Samile?"

"Yeah, Chuck Shurly. He's a prophet and he's helped us before."

"Sorry, boys. But I'm gonna have to disappoint you there. In past, presence and future, there never was nor ever will be a prophet by the name of 'Chuck Shurly'. You might have found yourself a whore, though."

"No, we already ganked her. And Chuck really is a prophet. He-"

"Sam, seriously now. There is no prophet of that name. I know. I'm an angel. I know all the prophet's names. That isn't one."

"Yeah, but... Exactly. You're an angel, you should know!"

"Well, I know that it's not so. And you are aware that angels know all prophets? Who told you that?"

"Cas! Right around the time he told us that Chuck was a prophet of the Lord!"

"Wow, well... That's strange. And unsettling."

"...You really don't know him as a prophet."

"Affirmative. So why would Castiel say that he is one?"

"He wouldn't lie to us. Not then, he rebelled for us."

"I didn't say he lied. I just say that he didn't tell you the truth."

"What's the difference?"

"He believed what he said, but it was untrue."

"How could an angel be fooled into believing that someone is a prophet?"

"Well... The easiest would be to find, kill and replace a prophet. Angels know their names, not their faces or the feeling of their souls. But that is not what we are talking about. We are talking about someone who can put a new name on the prophet list in the head of an angel. We are talking about someone who can reprogram an angel. Wait, is Castiel the only one affected. Do you know that?"

"Uhm. No, he's not. An archangel appeared to defend the prophet. Twice. Uhm, Raphael, in case you guys know each other."

"Of course we do and this is really, really, really unsettling."

"Why?"

"Because reprogramming one simple seraph on earth is one thing. If they are numerous enough, have enough time and know what they're doing even demons can do that. But an archangel? He can be trapped, but even then none would dare step within arms' reach of him. Demons least of all. Whatever implanted that name in Raphy's head was an angel at least. And not one lower than him, either. It would need equal power at least to control him."

"So what, an archangel did that? And why would anyone do that?"

"Why would I pose as a trickster? Your Chuck could be an archangel in hiding."

"...Are there any missing?"

"I don't know, I haven't been upstairs in ages... But even then, Raphael is strong for an archangel. He is our healer, he knows the battlefield. Even when it's still fought on. And if Michael is still there and he must be or Dean wouldn't be so desired, the only one left is Metatron. And no offence, but that old bookworm could never hold Raphael down... But even if he could... The angels up there fly without vessels, their graces in direct contact. They don't speak to one another, but make grace-contact and think. Raphael would know that he was reprogrammed. To keep up the illusion, all angels in heaven would have to have been changed."

"...All heaven was reprogrammed?"

"I guess so."

"But not you."

"No, but I'm not in heaven."

"So someone is posing as a prophet, someone strong enough to fool all the angels in heaven, including archangels, and he must have done that after you left, or you would believe Chuck to be a prophet, too. ...Who was still there when you left, but is gone from heaven now?"

"Lots of people, Sammy it's a long time. Even Lucifer was still in Dad's good graces when I left. Officially that is. He didn't make it much longer after I was gone, though. I felt his fall."

"Could Lucifer-?"

"No. He couldn't overpower Michael. Not in heaven at least. Not alone."

"Well, who can?"

And then Gabriel suddenly went pale and shaky and even Dean, who had previously just listened with a deepening frown and silently prayed for Castiel to come to them, stood up and asked what was wrong. But Gabriel did not answer. He did speak, though:

"I need to see that 'Chuck' immediately."

And taking in his face, they didn't argue. They didn't know who or what Chuck really was and if he even knew that himself, considering that Anna had forgotten about her angelic past, but they all might get answers soon.

Gabriel was silent the entire way there and Dean cursed himself for missing the archangel's constant quips, his rustling of candy wrappers and his tendency to mess with the radio. Because now, everything was deathly silent. The entire way. and it was a long way, but the brothers were too tense, too scared to break the silence.

Right until they reached the shabby house. Gabriel left the car first, actually using the door, totally un-angelically. He had spend a long time on earth. Long enough to know what no other angel remembered. And his step was more of a stride, determined and rough, while the brothers hurried after him with an uneasy glance exchanged between them. Gabriel looked about ready to murder Chuck. And everyone else who got into in his way, too.

But he proved the patience to ring the bell and wait until Chuck, as dishevelled as he always looked, opened the door. There seemed to be no recognition on Chuck's face as he looked at Gabriel, but the archangel's face changed into an even more disturbing one. He smiled an almost devillish smile and despite his meager height somehow managed to loom over the not-prophet.

Chuck gulped at that posture and backed away, effectively letting them in. And Gabriel did follow him, in a way that was eeriely reminiscent of a stalking tiger. The Winchesters stepped in after him and closed the door, barely able to wait any longer for a resolution to the ever building tension in the air.

And the moment the door fell into its lock with a resounding click, Gabriel opened his mouth to speak like honeyed arsenic:

"Hey there, how about you stop the apocalypse, hm?"

"W-what? I can't do that, I'm just- just a prophet. I know but I can't change anything!"

Within the blink of an eye, Gabriel had gripped Chuck by the neck and shoved him up against the next wall, letting his feet dangle as he boomed with his angelic voice in pure, unadulterated fury:

"How dare you plead ignorance to me?! How dare you plead innocence, tyrant!"

Chuck was gasping and struggling, but it did nothing to deter the archangel. Even Sam and Dean were getting queasy now. What if Gabriel's assumption about Chuck was wrong? Then the ground and walls and ceiling started to shake. Bright light shone through all windows. But Gabriel was still not disrupted.

Then Raphael reappeared and he gasped one shocked "Gabriel? You are still alive? Where-", but then he realized what the other archangel was doing and drew his blade, his tone shifting from light and barely believing his eyes to hard and consequent:

"Brother, you must unhand him. He is a prophet and thus our duty to protect!"

But despite the Winchesters' subtle change of position to the other side of Gabriel from Raphael and their palpable dread, Gabriel completely ignored the danger he was in. He had nothing but despite for his kinsman:

"Oh shut up, you blundering wing-monkey! He is no prophet! He is an imposter and coward! And I would know. I've tried to bury my head in the sand, too. But I couldn't have changed anything! I was powerless to stop it, but not you!"

Now this was directed at Chuck again and Gabriel's fury only grew:

"You could stop it! You could stop it all! You could save everyone! Michael and Lucifer don't have to do this and you could stop them! Why don't you?! How can you allow this to happen! Just sitting there and watching the bloody apocalypse unfold before your eyes! I loved you once, how can you be so cruel?!"

The wall behind Chuck cracked under Gabriel's strength and now Raphael was compelled to act, archangel blade in hand. Sam shouted to warn Gabriel and faster than they could see, he dropped Chuck and drew his own blade to face Raphael, who stilled at his opponent's threat not to near, but couldn't back down, either.

"Do you really think that you can take me, brother?"

"I don't want for that to become necessary, but I know I can. It's one of the perks of not just screwing people over all the time."

Raphael was not sure how to interpret that, but Sam knew his cue. He stepped right up to Gabriel and said with pure determination:

"Whatever you need, the answer is: Yes."

And that shocked Raphael almost more than Gabriel's initial appearence:"You can't. You are meant for Lucifer!"

"O yeah? Well, guess what: We are team Free Will and I choose Gabriel. Any questions? Or will you just get it and step back now!"

Raphael didn't. So Gabriel pressed his palm into Sam, sparks flying everywhere, until he glowed with power. Raphael took a step back and looked to Sam, but even trembling in pain, the human stood still for Gabriel to take whatever he needed. That and the determination of Michael's vessel, too, was what had Raphael dropping his blade. Michael's vessel picked it up and stepped back behind Gabriel, who let go of Lucifer's vessel now.

Only then did Gabriel turn back to the pseudo-prophet, his smile that looked more like a snarl back in place. Raphael could not fight him now. Michael might have been able to push him down with strength alone and Lucifer might have deceived him, but Raphael could not fight him without a weapon. He had been chosen as God's messenger for a reason. He was swift like no other. And he knew all the tricks.

So he could ignore Raphael and focus entirely on the one in front of him. His rage surged again just thinking about him.

"Sooo? Back to stopping the apocalypse!"

"Look, I'm sorry, I don't know who you think who I am, b-"

"Don't. You. Dare repeat those lies to me! I know who you are, the cat's out the bag! You messed up, you might have mucked out heaven, but you missed one angel. Did you think I'd be irrelevant? Did you just not think at all?! What are you thinking?! Why are you letting this happen?! How can you allow this?!"

"Honestly, I-"

"I told you to quit playing coy with me, daddy!"

And that spread silence. Raphael was taken aback and all his animosity suddenly drained. Dean basically short-circuited into a series of half-breathed "What?"s and Sam went through everything Chuck had every done in their presence again. This couldn't be God, could it? Gabriel had to be mistaken...

But then Sam remembered the first day, when they had told Chuck that it was all real. Chuck's first thought had been that his writing had caused it to happen. He had apologized. He had conculded that he had to be some kind of god. ...Had he laughed inside as they tried to calm him, telling him that it was not his fault? But it was. All the shit they had ever gone through. The fucking apocalypse now. All His design. And now Sam shared Gabriel's rage.

And he was panting with it as Gabriel ranted at the top of his angelic lungs, breathing fire and brimstone against the father that had abandoned him, his beloved brothers and all of humanity. He screamed and his rage mingled with his pain over everything he had lost and was bound to lose through the apocalypse. And he had tears in his golden eyes, when pain became the dominant emotion in his voice, his anger cooling to bitterness, joined by grief and fear and just outright despair.

His world was about to be broken apart and he had no true hope to be able to stop it. And when his voice grew hoarse from screaming, his curses turned to pleas and he sank to his knees, begging his father to stop it already, asking him again and again why God would do this to them.

Sniffling now, he apologized for jumping at his throat earlier and just begged him to not let the earth be destroyed, to not let mankind die just because of Lucifer's little temper tantrum, to please change his orders to Michael who was deadbeat on obeying him even if the world had to end for it. To please just let them live. He whined that it was not the humans' fault, not the humans' fight and for God to please not let them pay for it, driving them into extinction over a fight between angels.

Gabriel was desperate. And then Chuck finally spoke, without any of the quivering and the uncertainty of the poor writer in his voice:

"You love the humans."

"Yeah, so sue me, but I do."

And before their eyes, the unimaginable happened. As Chuck's face morphed into a warm smile, a glow came over him and pure light filled his eyes, his human from almost dissolving around the brightness within. And the entire room became warm and a smell like a thousand flowers replaced the stench of alcohol and mold and softly a sound like music began to emanate from the creature they had once believed a simple prophet, while he was in fact the Lord.

Just a smoothly as it all had come, though, it vanished again. It had been just a show. No, it had been affirmation. And now Chuck, God, spoke to them as what he was, tears of his own in his eyes, but those born of joy:

"Oh Gabriel, you make me so happy, so proud."

"I, um, dad?"

"Don't you see? You ranted, even attacked me... for the humans! What do you think why I brought Castiel back? Coincidentally right after he had defied heaven to help the humans, giving his life for them... This is- Gabriel, this is exactly what I was hoping for! I told you all so long ago to love the humans. To love them even more than you love me. And Lucifer may have been the only one to refuse me, but did the others do as I wished? They brought on the apocalypse now and even then they may have bent the knee, but they never loved the humans. They did not refuse my order, but they failed it."

"Well, yeah. Clearly. But how would they love the humans? They don't even know them. And... is this why you left?"

"Hm, yeeesh. It didn't work, though."

"Well, of course it didn't. The angels... we were your army. You can't cut an army off the commander and expect them to just make peace and live civilian lives!"

"I suppose. Which is why you are my messenger. You just have better people skills. Probably the result of more complex relationships, while was only ever the beloved father..."

"What? But dad, you are... You must have known that this would happen! You are supposed to be omniscient! And you knew the Winchester's lives to the smallest of details! How could you not know what would happen?"

"...What do you love most about you life on earth? This ...semi-human life?"

"Indulgence. Why, what do you like here?"

"Ignorance."

"Why?"

"I could have known, had I wanted to. But I didn't. Gabriel, omniscience is the greatest curse of all."

"How is that supposed to be a curse?"

"Because it negates faith. It negates hope. I've never been surprised in heaven, laughing at a joke was only ever a gesture, because I already knew the joke before it was spoken. I was never amused or happy. When humans have problems, they hope for a happy ending. Whenever I saw anything, I already knew the end, for better or for worse. How could I hope, when I already knew? I came here to teach them a lesson. I at least expected them to come down to earth to look for me and experience it on the way. I wanted them to learn to appreciate the benefits of humanity. I just love it here. It's a crappy life for a human, but I love it. My form can even age and get hurt and everything! The frailty of everything down here... It just makes every thing and moment so much more valuable."

"...That's almost a good reason. But, and I mean you no offense with this, your teaching the angels a lesson has failed spectacularly."

"Yeah, I noticed. But then again, it brought you to me, enlightened and full of love for humanity. And I know you've always been great at teaching people lessons. So? Will you be my messenger again and get the lesson across for me?"

"I... I would, but how? Michael won't believe me. Not if I tell him that you of all beings changed your mind. He'll think I'm trying to trick him. And I couldn't even begrudge him for the thought. But... the way I teach people... I have power over them. I mess with them, using my superiority to control the situation. A teacher is always superior to the student. How could I possibly teach Michael and Lucifer?"

"I guess I'll just have to make your name true, then."

For a moment, everyone was confused. Then realization hit Gabriel and he almost staggered back, when God reached out to him. Sam racked his brains for why. Gabriel's name? 'Gabriel'. What did that even mean? גַּבְרִיאֵל. Might of God. Oh God, making Gabriel's name true? Making him the Might of God for real? That sounded like a really big thing. And it was.

Next, the moment God touched Gabriel, the archangel howled in pain and his vessel's skin now looked like a thin veil over a raging firestorm. Both Winchesters and even Raphael jumped back, when suddenly, joing the instant storm outside, wings flashed into appearance; they flared and flickered, constantly disappearing and then reappearing again and again and again. Until they could see what was really happening.

The humans had first been surprised to see six wings when they were only used to a rare glimpse of Castiel's two. Or their shadows at least. But then again, Gabriel was an archangel. Of course he had six wings. Except that that was changing now. Before their eyes, Gabriel's flickering six wings grew and grew and split. And they grew bigger still, until finally God let go.

The now twelve wings disappeared from sight and Gabriel outwardly normalized. But he was not the same inside. He now had the strength to fight Michael and Lucifer. Perhaps not both at the same time, but he could take them down one after the other. And comfortably enough at that so he did not have to kill them for it.

God had given Gabriel the power to stop the apocalypse and keep both his warring brothers alive.

After that, they didn't really know how to react. Was "Thanks, God" okay? But God, well Chuck, actually broke the insecure silence himself, stating that he was still expecting company. "Human", he answered at Gabriel's question. And after a moment of hesitation from them, he added "female" with that certain kind of look. Raphael instantly went "Eww", which Gabriel laughed at, but they got the message and they made to go. Before they could open the door, though Chuck asked for one last favor:

"Don't tell anyone, okay? I'm just a prophet now. It's not like I like the separation, but they have to learn autonomy, just like you humans did. So I'd rather not get swarmed by angels looking for commandments. They'll never learn while they have an easy alternative."

They understood that and promised not to tell. Raphael, though, was not allowed to leave just yet. He was desperately loyal to God and bound to run back to him for orders now that he knew. So Chuck had to deal with that. Gabriel gleefully sing-songed "Someone's due for their brainwashing!", already pulling candy from thin air again, but eventually they went on their way.

They had an apocalypse to stop.

**Author's Note:**

> Could someone please say something about the content this time, though? I need reassurance! Or constructive criticism.


End file.
